If there were any doubts remaining about the power of social media, they were squelched this week during the horrific events around the Boston Marathon. Amid the chaos and overloaded cell networks, Twitter and Facebook became lifelines -- in some cases, literally -- for runners, spectators, event staff and first responders. In the days since the bombings, social media has played a key role in the investigation into who perpetrated the attacks.

I am a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, and for me "Marathon Monday" has always been a day for celebrating the human spirit, courage and perseverance, often against all odds. As has happened far too many times in the last couple of years, I first learned on social media that something had gone horribly wrong: first one isolated post, typically ending with a question mark. Then another. And another, followed by a rush of comments. Then a story from a news outlet, and another, followed by the sinking feeling that, yes, it's really happening. Next, the outpouring of thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families. Finally, invariably, the heartfelt and creative images that are posted, and shared, and shared again.

On April 15, all of the above happened in the course of less than half an hour. And that's about how much time organizations that do business on social networks have to respond -- or not respond -- to events that affect their customers and the global community.

Shortly after it became clear that what was happening in Boston was no accident, I saw a tweet from a social business expert saying that now would be a really good time for businesses who have automated updates scheduled to postpone them. I thought that was excellent advice, and based on my own Facebook and Twitter feeds, it was the protocol that many businesses followed. An update that would be perfectly acceptable on a normal day could take on a whole new meaning on a day when "normal" seems very far away. Even the act of updating alone could be considered insensitive.

I also noticed that businesses that chose to acknowledge the bombings at the Marathon kept their posts very simple. For example, on Facebook, Wholly Guacamole posted a photo of Boston's skyline, captioned "We stand with Boston." The update accompanying it read, "To our friends, family and fans in Boston, no words to describe the heartache."

As individuals and businesses alike work to keep pace with the speed of social, it's extremely important to react quickly but sensitively, and to always consider the context within which your updates and activity on social media will be taken.

E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. Register for E2 Conference Boston todayand save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass!

Welcome to
TechWeb, the IT professional's online resource for news coverage of the
information technology industry. We know technology news. Our mobile
and wireless news coverage moves as fast as wireless technology itself.
We follow all the devices you depend on to stay connected. Our software
coverage follows the multi-faceted software industry from every angle.
We've got a lock on network security and computer security issues.
We're all over the business of the Web--the Internet business--and the
engines that run it. We have our eyes and ears tuned to the players who
make and run the tools that tie us all together--Google, Microsoft,
eBay, Cisco, Yahoo, Oracle, Apple, Sony--and scores of others. And we
keep close tabs on the backbone of information technology, PC hardware.
We know PCs and Apple computers inside and out. We cover computer
technology, computer news, software news, search engine news, business
software, operating systems, and software development. Our coverage of
tech news includes a strong focus on the security business, its
attendant spyware and viruses, how security relates to wireless
technology and business networking and the security issues surrounding
RFID technology. We closely follow developments in Internet news and
Internet technology, including the spread of broadband and its effect
on Web browsers and the Web business. We watch the VoIP business, and
how VoIP technology is affecting the state of telephony in the
enterprise. And if all that isn't enough, we also track developments in
the IT industry that affect IT jobs, IT careers, and outsourcing.